October 19, 1950 – July 16, 2025
‘Doc’ Duane Wolverton, 74, Orofino
Orofino lost a cherished member of the community with the passing of veterinarian Duane Wolverton on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, after a two-year battle with heart failure. He was an important figure for thousands of people, their pets and their livestock for over 47 years.
While he was making friends and helping animals, he never stopped talking. He could tell a joke and tell a story with equal amounts of wisdom and humor, and his mind was always on “what’s next?” Most of us really had to pay attention to keep up.
Doc was born Oct. 19, 1950, in Orofino. His parents, Albert and Elsie Wolverton, and two sisters, Mildred and Linda, lived on Riverside.
He attended Orofino schools until his graduation from Orofino High School in 1969, which is also when he bought “his Mustang” which is still parked in his garage.
During high school he worked at KLER as a DJ. He spent a year at Lewis-Clark State College and worked as a DJ at KOZE, and then transferred to the University of Idaho for undergraduate studies.
While going to veterinary school at Washington State University, he drove mail truck from Spokane to Pullman in the mornings before classes began.
During college he made 155 skydiving jumps as part of a skydiving team, but had to sell his equipment to pay tuition.
On his last jump, he had only his reserve parachute, and he dislocated both shoulders when he landed because he had sold his boots and was wearing tennis shoes. Common sense finally kicked in and he gave up skydiving.
Upon graduation from WSU in 1977, Duane worked with local veterinarian Dr. Peterson, from whom he bought Clearwater Veterinary Clinic in Orofino, and the satellite clinic in Kamiah. He kept Kamiah open until the rules governing veterinarians made it impossible, but he kept the Orofino clinic open until December 2024 when his health forced him to retire.
Duane spent a lot of his youth at Grandpa’s ranch on Wells Bench which was homesteaded in 1935. He eventually bought the ranch where he spent happy times with his horses, his beautiful pond, family and friends.
He married his best friend Andrea in 1997 and they danced together for 27 years. He loved music and dancing, and parties at the Wolverton ranch were common. He and Andrea were active in the Lolo Trail Muzzleloader Club, and club events were often held at the ranch where Duane shared his love for muzzleloaders with friends, kids and grandkids. There he was known as “Too Many Horses,” although he never thought there was such a thing.
He loved Tennessee Walking Horses (but only black ones), and if you ever drove by the ranch, you probably noticed one or several in the fields.
Duane loved the Idaho wilderness and took many horse trips into the Lochsa and Selway where he could disappear for days or weeks. He rode areas that hadn’t seen many humans on trails that scared most humans away. With his true love of old things, he rode only McClellan saddles and believed that sourdough starter and whiskey were the only two staples a person really needed.
Duane shared some of his stories in the Clearwater Tribune, all of which were true, but his mind was full of many more that it was a privilege to hear. He didn’t make any of them up, but he didn’t have to because his life experiences made great story-telling material.
Andrea, their family, friends and clients meant the world to him.
He is survived by Andrea and her whole family which he called his own, mom Elsie, in Lewiston, sons Darren and Dustin, in Boise, sister Linda, in Clearwater and sister Mildred, in Lewiston, as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.
“Doc, we will be forever grateful for your wisdom, your guidance, your friendship, and your humor. Happy trails until we meet again!”
A celebration of life will be held this fall.